Emmitt Russell "E.R." "Rusty"  Gammill

October 12, 1942 - January 9, 2011

Brandon, Florida       

GAMMILL, Emmett Russell "E.R.," of Brandon, Fla., passed away January 9, 2011. He was born in Oklahoma City, Okla., October 12, 1942. He lived in Tyler, Texas, for most of his life. He graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1961. He received bachelor' s and master' s degrees in geology, then attended Texas A & M at Commerce for post graduate doctoral fellowship work. E.R. wrote "The Structure of the Nemaha Ridge" a book about the leading oil producing geologic structure in the United States located in Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa. He was a geology professor at Henderson State University in Arkansas for six years. He worked in Texas as a geologist and petroleum land man for 10 years. After retiring he accepted a position of instructor of geology and earth sciences at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, where he taught for 20 years. HCC established the The E.R. Gammill Geology Collection that is housed on the second floor of the Ybor Building in the hallway for the laboratory classrooms at the Ybor City Campus.

E.R and his wife were avid scuba divers and marine researchers, specializing in Caribbean porifera and working with The Smithsonian Institute. E.R. wrote "The Identification of Coral Reef Sponges" the first sponge Identification book of its kind, which has proven to be a milestone for researchers worldwide. He loved to sail their ketch, the 48' research vessel, Providence, and to fly airplanes. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Betty Trowbridge Gammill; his beloved sons, Alexander Raymond Gammill (daughter-in-law, Connie) and Ari Renoir Gammill of Austin, Texas; grandsons, Tyler, Major and Connor; brothers, Bill Gammill and John Gammill; and sister-in law and brother-in-law, Arleen and Jack Jones of Tyler, Texas. A celebration of E.R' s life will take place in February in St. Pete Beach, Fla. Flowers or donations should be sent to a favorite charity.